Sewer-cleaner.



W. J. STEVENSON, P. A. FUCHS (i; W. fHECKE/Jn,

SEWER CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 14, I912.

Patented Dec. 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

W. .l. STEVENSON, P. A. FUCHS & W. HIECKE, In.

SEWER CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 14, I912.

1,163,6Q v Patented Dec. 7, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

F I i 5 30 Z WILLIAM J. STEVENSON, PHILIP A. FUCHS, AND WILLIAM HIECKE,JR, 015 MIL- WAUKEE, v RIGHT AND sAIp HIECKE ASSIGNOR SAID STEVENSON.

WISCONSIN; SAID FUCHS ASSIGNOIR. 0F ONE-TWELFTH OF THE WHOLE O FONE-TWELFTH OF THE WHOLE RIGHT TO SEWER-CLEANER.

meaeaa.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application fil ed October 14, 1912. SeIiaINo. 725,565.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM J. STEVEN- soN, PHILIP A. FUCHS, andWILLIAM HIECKE, J r.,' citizens of the United States, residing atMilwaukee, county of Milwaukee, and State of Wisconsin, have inventednew and useful Improvements in Sewer- Cleaners, of which the'followingis a specification. 1

Our invention relates to improvements in sewer cleaners.

The object of our invention is to provide improved means for removingthe grease and other material which accumulates upon the walls ofsewers.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a sewercleaner embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a front view showing thedevice in position for use with a sewer pipe which is illustrated incross section. Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view, drawn on line m a2 ofFig. 1.

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughoutthe several views.

A cylinder 1 is provided at one end With a coupling 2 adapted to receivean ordinary hose coupling. At its other end the cylinder 1 is providedwith a flared. member 4, the purpose of which will be hereinafterexplained. A water actuated motor is mounted in the cylinder 1 at theflared end thereof. This includes a stationary member 6 which fills thecylinder, but has water directing, curved grooves 7 in its periphery.The cylinder wall, with the walls of the grooves 7, form closed ducts. Ashaft 10 extends through the member 6 or is formed integrally therewith,and an impact motor or turbine rotor is mounted upon this shaft withantifriction thrust bearings 12 between it and the member 6 and alsobetween the rotor and a shaft collar 13 adjustably held in position by anut 14. The front end of the shaft 10 is provided with an eye piece 15to facilitate the attachment of a cable, whereby the device may be drawnthrough a sewer.

The rotor comprises a bucket grooved member 16 and a head 17 connectedby a neck piece 18, the latter being comically enlarged in the directionof the head along the latter being inserted in sockets 22 in the headand secured by set screws 23. The blades are formed with sharp edgesshaped to fit along the interior .wall of a sewer 25 as shown at a inFig. 2. The extremities of the blades are inwardly turned as shown atZ), that is to say, the blade of each knife lies at an angle with thebody of the shank by which it is c.rried, and the outer portion of theblade extends substantially along a helical curve following the interiorsurface of the sewer wall, said blade being connected to the shank by aportion rearwardly curved from the shank toward the extremity withrelation to the direction of rotation of the blade, and forwardlydirected from the shank toward the extremity with relation to the lineof travel of the structure. The blades have thick backs, and their innerfaces are beveled abruptly from the backs to the cutting edges asillustrated at C. We have discovered that this form of blade is veryeffective in not only cutting the grease from the sewer wall but incausing it to break up into fragments, the curved form of the blade, andthe fact that it is inclined or angularly positioned with refer-]Patented Dec. 7, 1915.

ence to the plane of rotation, causing it to springs 28. The springs 28are socketed in connecting members 29, which are clamped around thecylinder and which are provided with outwardly projecting guide arms 30from which cross pins 31 extend through slots 32 in the runners. Betweenthese runners a tubular brace rod 35 extends, this being connected withthe members29 and provided at its rear end with a coupling member 36adapted to permit the manipulation of a counterpart member into couplingposition therein to facilitate the attachment of a retracting cable orof jointed forcing bar (not shown) employed for pushing the devicethrough the sewer if clogged to such an extent that a cable cannot bepassed through it.

A cage 42 for disinfecting material is re-. movably supported' in thecylinder 1 by curved wire bows 40, the ends of which are secured to thecage. At its rear end the cage is tapered and it is provided withapertures 45 in the tapered portion and in its side walls, permittingwater circulation. At its forward end the cage is provided with a socket41, and a rearwardly tapered member 43, carried by shaft 10, fits intothis socket and receives the forward thrust of the cage underwaterpressure. The member 43 also directs the water into the grooves 7, itsforward end being of sufiicient diameter to prevent the water fromstriking the solid central portion of member 6 and forming eddycurrents.

In operation, the device is coupled at its rear end to a hose 48. Acable is passed through a section of the sewer, i. e. from one manholeto the next, and connected to the rod 10 at the eye 15. Where the cablecannot be used, push rods may be engaged with coupling 36 and the devicepushed through the sewer while performing the cleaning operation. Ineither case water under pressure is delivered through the hose, and thedevice is drawn (or pushed) through the sewer, preferably in thedirection of the outlet. The water is directed by the ducts 7 againstthe bucket flanges 19 of the rotor, whereby the latter is rapidlyrevolved and the deposit cut from the walls of the sewer and broken upby the blades 20. Owing to the peculiar form of the blades they cut andplow the material from the walls, breaking it up and throwing itforwardly. The water discharging from the bucket grooves of the rotor isdelivered outwardly as above ex- I plained, and clears away the loosenedmaterial, carrying it ahead of the machine where the sewer is not whollyclogged. When the disinfecting cage 42 is employed, the water may becharged with a disinfecting solvent, which causes the grease todisintegrate. This may, however. be omitted-if desired.

Our device is adapted for use in sewers of different sizes, since theblades and also the'runners may be removed and replaced by others ofgreater or less radial extension. The blades may also be removed whendull ordamaged and sharp edged blades substituted.

We attach great importance to the form of the blades and their angularposition with reference to the plane of rotation, since experiments havedemonstrated that these blades are very effective in cutting out rootsand in breaking up the material as fast as it is cut from the sewerwalls instead of delivering it in strips or permitting it to clogbetween the knives.

The greasy mass which collects on the walls of sewers clogs all ordinaryforms of tube cleaners, and frequently clogs the sewer itself in frontof the cleaning machines to such an extent as to render further progressimpossible. This is due to the cohesion of the mass and its stickycharacter whereby ordinary knives pass through without removing it, andthe spaces between ordinary scrapers fill to the outer margins of theblades thus clogging them. But our experiments have demonstrated thatwith blades which have an abrupt bevel and a shearing action, and whichare arranged to throw the material forwardly this material may beeffectively cut away, broken up, and scattered so that it will becarried away by the water as fast as it is removed.

We claim:

1. In a sewer cleaner, the combination with a rotary member, of a plowsecured thereto, comprising a supporting shank projecting radially fromthe rotary member and having on its outer end a rigid curved bladeextending forwardly with reference to the axial line of travel of therotary member and trailing from theshank with relation to its line ofrotary motion, together with means for drawing said rotary memberthrough a sewer, and a motor for imparting rapid rotative movementsthereto.

2. In a sewer cleaner, the combination with a rotary member, of aplowing knife secured thereto, comprising a supporting shank projectingradially from the rotary member and having on its outer end a rigidcurved blade extending forwardly with reference to the axial line oftravel of the rotary plow member and trailing therefrom with relation toits line of rotary motion, said blade having a sharp edge and a thickback and formed with its inner face beveled abruptly from the back tosaid edge, together with means for drawing said rotary member through asewer, and means for rotating said member during its progressivemovement along the sewer Wall.

3. A sewer cleaner including the combination of a water driven rotarymember and a set of curved blades carried by said member, each of saidblades having its outer portion extending in curved lines forwardly inthe direction of travel of the cleaner and rearwardly with reference tothe direction of rotation and provided with inturned extremities adaptedto ,move with a plowing action through material adhering to the walls ofa sewer, said water driven member being provided with an integralforwardly and outwardly curved neck piece between the water receivingportion and the blades and adapted to direct the water outwardly againstthe inner faces of the blades and against the walls of the sewer.

4. In a sewer cleaner, the combination with a rotary member,-ashanksupported therefrom and a blade carried by said shank, said blade beingcurved forwardly with relation to the direction of travel of the cleanerand rearwardly with relation to the direction of rotation of the blade,the cutting portion of said blade extending substantially along ahelically curved line adjacent to the wall of the sewer to be cleaned.

5. In a sewer cleaner, the combination with a rotary member, a shanksupported therefrom and a blade carried by said shank, said blade beingcurved forwardly with relation to the direction of travel of the cleanerand rearwardly with relation to the direction of rotation of the blade,the cutting portion of said stantially along a helically curved linefollowing the wall of the sewer to be cleaned,

blade extending subsaid blade being of chisel formation in crosssection.

6. A sewer cleaner comprising in combination with a body portion adaptedto be drawn through a sewer, of a rotary head carried thereby, a motorcarried by said body portion and adapted to impart rapid rotation tosaid head and a rigid cutting blade carried by said head, said bladebeing so shaped as to constitute a portion of a helix.

7. In a device of the character described the combination with a bodyportion adapted to be drawn through a sewer of a rotary head carriedthereby, means carried by said body portion for rotating said headand a'plurality of blades carried by said head each of said blades being soshaped as to constitute a part of a helix and each of said bladescomprising an outer cutting edge, a portion of which when in use lies incontact with the sewer wall and an inner edge, disposed when in use outof contact with the sewer wall whereby a plowing action is secured.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures in the presence of twowitnesses.

WILLIAM J. STEVENSON. PHILIP A. FUCHS. WILLIAM 'HIECKE, J B.

Witnesses:

LEVERETT C. WHEELER, IRMA D. BREMER.

